1982 Fender '62 American Vintage Reissue Stratocaster

By the late-'70s, years of incremental spec changes made the Stratocaster practically unrecognizable compared to Leo Fender's iconic pre-CBS designs. Nowadays, the concept of a "vintage reissue"—that is, a modern recreation of historic specs—is integral to Fender's brand, but they actually didn't start exploring this idea until 1981. As the story goes, Fender execs had grown weary of players asking them to build guitars like they used to, and while prices for pre-CBS originals began to outpace the prices of new Fender instruments, the company decided that should take a look at what made those old guitars so special. In 1982, historically-correct Fullerton-made Stratocasters and Telecasters hit guitar stores across the country, and ever since, American-made vintage reissues have been a cornerstone of Fender's brand.  As many players and collectors agree, the original Fullerton reissue guitars from 1982 are among the finest guitars Fender has made since Leo sold the brand to CBS in 1965.